Friday, April 29, 2011

I wanted to make something for my son’s new apartment that is masculine and functional. When I came across these MDF Kaisercraft coasters I knew just what to do!

>To cover the backs and edges of the coasters, I chose Kaisercraft paint in Sage so it would blend in with the organic feel of my photos. I chose a variety of scenic photos I had taken in our area giving them a bit of a homey feeling for my son.

Once I had attached the photos to the coasters, I applied Kaisercraft rubons with encouraging quotes giving each coaster a bit more meaning, and a little message from mom!

Sugar & Spice

I just love that my mom saved the entire series of these photos, pout and all!I chose to use a couple of different lines helping to keep the vintage feel of the photos, yet bring out the pop of green and orange in the dress and bow.

The flowers are homemade by using a blend of Kaisecraft lace, flowers, and brads.

The stitched circle was inspired by the stitching on the front of the dress.

To create the flourishes, I broke a wooden Kaisercraft flourish in to separate parts. I covered each piece with copper metallic paint, then rubbed with Kaisercraft Slate ink to give more of a rustic vintage feel.

For YouThis would make a lovely card for any celebration…birthday, thinking of you, and even wedding!The flowers were fussy cut from pattern paper and tucked in for a splash of color. I combined a the outer flourish/box portion of a journaling rubon with a sentiment rubon to create the sentiment block for my card. After applying the rubons to my paper, I cut around the edge of the image for a more formal look. A splash of pearls adds to the elegance of the card.

Best WishesOnce again, I applied some fussy cut flowers for a splash of color. Each layer of the sentiment block is adhered with dimensional foam. The string of Kaisercraft pearls, along with the large pearls brad add a bit of texture and elegance to the card.

Through the Pages of TimeI had the most fun creating this MDF clock from Kaisercraft!! I chose patterns with a neutral color so my photos would pop.

Once the paper for the top of the clock had been adhered and had dried, I grabbed my Kaisercraft stamps, clear embossing powder, and an assortment of inks. Because I wanted the stamped image to be faint, I used a clear embossing pad to stamp the images. I also wanted a more distressed look to the image so I chose to emboss with a thicker powder. After the images had been embossed, I rubbed my inks over the embossed area drawing out the image. I chose to use a variety of colors giving the entire project a hint more color.

I used my Kaisercraft rubons for the numbers, and thought some Kaisercraft pearls would make a great addition in place of the other numbers, as well as adding a dash of elegance to the project.

These Kaisercraft wood flourishes are gorgeous. Rather than adding color, I preferred to leave them in they natural state and added a layer of clear stickles over the top for a bit of sophistication.

BeautifulI just love the fun bright colors of this line!! They remind me of my sister-in-law….fun, cheery, always wearing a bright smile!

I’ve been saving this quote for just the right time, and this glittery teapot paper was the perfect fit!! I cut the teapot, cup, and cake from the pattern paper. The flowers were created by adding several layers of my Kaisercraft flowers and bunching them together.

Boy Will Be BoysThe colors and patterns of this line are ideal for my outdoorsy teenage boy photos!

Whether I am looking for sentiments, titles, or embellishments I know I can find a good assortment in my Kaisercraft rubon stash!! This layout is no exception !! I applied rubon stitching, borders, and title! I created the fun circle embellishments by applying my rubons to cardstock and cutting around the image. By adhering them with pop dots, I was able to give them some dimension. To create texture for my masculine layout, I cut stars from a variety of mediums such as cardboard, corduroy fabric, and a scrap of denim from hubby’s pants.

To create my title, I applied a coat of Kaisercraft Slate ink to the Kaisercraft neutral chipboard letters. Once the ink dried, I dry brushed Kaisercraft White paint over a piece of mesh to produce the distress checkered look.

To My FriendI am so fortunate to have such incredible and amazing friends. This card is a salute to them, for they have most certainly touched my heart forever!!

The sentiment is a Kaisercraft diecut that I distressed around the edges, dressed up with a lace border, and added a splash of pearls for elegance!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend of worship, family celebration, and egg hunts!

I have been busy busy busy! I wish I could share, but you will have to be patient for another day before I can begin my reveals!

I also want to take a moment to let you know about a big birthday celebration! Nuts About Sketches is celebrating by posting a new sketch everyday from April 30th - May 6th! Come participate in the fun and earn your chance for a scrappylicious prize!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

1. Like us on Facebook and leave a comment to the Mystery Envelope Challenge post telling us why you'd like to enter.

2. On April 22, we will draw 5 names from the challenge entries.

3. Entry winners will be sent a message requesting their address info and will receive an envelope containing several items to create a work of art with. The creation could be a tag, mini layout, card, art doll, etc. All items in the envelope must be used, add on items can only make up approx 10% of the design.

4. Participants must take a picture of their design and upload it to our Facebook page with the comment "Mystery Envelope Challenge". Deadline for upload will be included in the envelope and posted on our Facebook page after the drawing.

5. After deadline, our staff will choose the most creative and original from the 5 art pieces and the winner will receive a special give-a-way!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

This cute little flower pot card has been around for a while but I just had to make one for my cousin. She is struggling through a rough recovery after back surgery and I thought this delightful little pop out bouquet would be the perfect fun card to brighten her day!

I created the little pocket flower pot using the instructions shown here. I used my Cricut Expression and Walk in my Garden cartridge to cut the flowers, leaves and tools. I love the layer feature on the Gypsy to line up my flower layers so I know exactly what I am getting before I cut! It is also a great way to flip some of the leaves so I can see how they will align in my project before I cut them out.

Making sure a large heart was centered in the punch, I created flower centers using my i-top. I added a bit of sparkle and detail using my i-rock and bling. To add the sentiment and lady bug, I pulled my All Occasion Build-A-Card Pad and cut apart a sentiment sticker. The words fit perfectly at the bottom of the flower pot, and the adorable lady bug is just the perfect touch sitting on top of a flower! I just placed the sticker on a piece of white scrap, then cut around the image and adhered using a pop dot!

I used one of the sentiment blocks for the end of the tools. Another great feature of the Gypsy is that I can place exactly where I want to cut so it takes the guessing game out and makes it much easier when cutting small pieces of paper or scraps!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Time for another Nuts About Sketches reveal! To create the sketch I used the stunning April Kit from Tally Scrapper full of beautiful papers, and gorgeous embellishments to match! The April kit is sold out already, but the Pre-order for the May Kit is up and definitely worth every penny!! Her kits have been selling out fast so don’t hurry before May is gone too!!

Yep, that’s me at 16. Seems like yesterday, although my body is beginning to tell me otherwise! LOL! It’s even harder for me to grasp that both my kids are older than I am here!!

I wanted something a bit different for my butterfly so I added a bit of the tulle and American Crafts brad from the kit.

The chipboard butterflies are sooo fun to decorate as your own, but I discovered I really really need to get myself the Imaginisce D-stress tool!!

I pulled an old Prima flower and flourish from my stash, you know the stuff you hoard for “just the right thing!”

This in an old gold vintage doily that I acquired from my mom’s stash. The gold wasn’t working with my colors, so I dabbed a bit of white paint here and there on it!